What's The Cost Of Being The Hardest Workers In The World? | Deciphering Japan | Episode 2/4
May 31, 2021The central business district of Tokyo. A temple to the Japanese work ethic. A stone's throw away is a staircase that goes up to the Sanctuary of Atago. Many professionals working in the city climb these stairs known as "the steps to success" at least once in their working life. For the Japanese, they symbolize moving up the corporate ladder. But even reaching the work gods is hard work in Japan. The faithful here mainly pray for anything related to their careers. From new jobs and promotions... to booming business projects. The number of salarymen who travel here daily to pray to the business gods is an example of how obsessed the Japanese are with work.
The Japanese workforce works some of the longest hours in the
world
. Recording around 1,700 hours of work per person per year, compared to 1,500 in the UK and 1,300 in Germany. But, ironically, Japan today is among the least productive global economies. I'm Yumi Araki. I left Japan as a teenager and am now back as a journalist to explore my country as it enters a new era. In thisepisode
I want to understand why the Japanese work so hard. As the country grapples with the impact of COVID-19 and increasing economic pressures... I explore whether this unwavering dedication to work... still has a place in the hearts and minds of Japanese people today.
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what s the cost of being the hardest workers in the world deciphering japan episode 2 4...
Rush hours in Tokyo are just one example of how committed the Japanese are to work. But dedication to work in my country also manifests itself in other, often extraordinary, ways. From the efficiency of our trains... to the operation of our restaurants, through the smallest detail in a shop window. Everyday objects can take on mythical forms here in Japan. Even fruit. And if anything embodies the Japanese work ethic, it is this melon. Wow. Priced at 32,400 yen, which is equivalent to between 330 and 350 US dollars. Some have even been auctioned for a whopping $45,000. These incredibly expensive melons are considered the pinnacle of perfection in Japan.
But
what
makes a perfect melon? I'm heading 180 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, to Shizuoka Prefecture, to find out. Master farmer Yuko Yagi grows the most revered of all Japan's couture crops...the crown melon. Revered for his taste... and his aesthetics. Yagi-san, 42, is a second-generation melon grower. He learned to grow melons from his father, who died three years ago. To understand the hard work that goes into producing Japan's crown melons, I will join Yagi-san as she tends to her crops. Here, timing is everything. After 50 days of precise watering, the plants begin to bloom. But the hard work of raising them has only just begun.
Yagi-san sees the melons as her children, all individually beautiful. To me, they all look more or less the same. And like many overly affectionate mothers, there is no end to her criticism. Yagi-san's eye for detail, mixed with a certain obsession, is the quintessence of the Japanese work ethic. It is achieving the best. And in Yagi-san's case, it's about producing the perfect melon. One of the most important characteristics that farmers look for is the melon membrane. When you look at the process of how this is made and the amount of care and love that Yagi-san puts into the product, it's hard to question how much love for the work this is and maybe it is, you know, it's worth the more than 200 dollars it
cost
s to buy these things.After 100 days of loving, these melons are ready for harvest. But not everyone seems to live up to Yagi-san's exacting standards. Only one in 1,000 melons is considered premium quality and is displayed in markets not only as food, but as edible works of art. Back at the farm, I finally get to try Yagi-san's famous crown melons. Alright. I'll try it now. Usually when you eat cantaloupe or another melon, it's like okay, it's just a fruit. This is top notch. Really sweet, really delicious. In just four years of cultivation, Yagi-san has won awards for her fruit for two consecutive years.
In Japan there is a word to describe the kind of care Yagi-san puts into her work. what he does. That's all they can see. With Yagi-san and his crown melons, it gave me a new meaning of what kodawari means. There is a phrase that Japanese people always say when they eat something really delicious, they say... (Japanese) which means: "Oh, there is so much love imbued in this." And I had never, in the past, eaten anything that literally felt like that until I ate this melon.
From food to design and even business. On average, employees here work more than 49 hours a week. It's six days reduced to five. But that unwavering commitment to work comes at a
cost
. There has been a growing and disturbing phenomenon in the country the Japanese call karoshi. Death from overwork. To understand what it is about Japanese work culture that leads to the deaths of more than 200 employees each year, I signed up to experience the worst place you could choose to work in Japan. Japan's renowned work ethic turned post-war rubble into a first-world
economy. But in the 1990s, this economic giant was in a financial bubble.The bubble burst and growth withered. From a maximum of around 7% down to 1%. Three decades later, the country can't seem to get back on track. But the Japanese are working harder than ever. A quarter of full-time employees work more than 80 hours of overtime per month. The result has been karoshi, or death from overwork. And a key factor in this is the sweatshop-style exploitative corporations called "black companies." My director, producer and I have signed up for an event that allows people to experience firsthand what it's like to work at a black company. These actors play managers and employees who will simulate scenes based on real situations in black companies, although their names have been changed.
It may seem strange, but company slogans have long been a Japanese tradition to boost morale and tie employees to the company culture. In some companies, morning rituals include group exercises and singing songs about productivity and defeating rival companies. In black companies, anyone who is not on the same page suffers. Super Miracle Happy! In the next scene, an actor playing a new recruit is trained to sell the company's products, in this case medical equipment, door to door. It seems a bit far-fetched, but these scenarios are based on true stories. In black companies, training sessions like these often turn into a hazing session.
I know this is an act, but it's incredibly uncomfortable to watch. The lines between reality and fiction are getting pretty blurry for me. Oh Lord. The horrible thing about that scenario is that they make the person they are trying to make an example of hostage. -Yeah. And then it creates a scenario where it's like... "No, you can't intervene, because if you intervene, it will be you." He forces them even more into alignment because when you look at him you think, "Oh, God, I would do anything to make sure that's not me." Right, exactly. That's the point, divide and conquer. -Yeah. -Yeah.
So that they don't sympathize with the company and say... That's right, that's exactly how it is. While the details vary, Black businesses tend to hire younger employees who end up working more than 80 hours of overtime per month. They only have a 10-minute break a day and do not receive any insurance, benefits or pension. Employees are invited to participate in these black business simulations to raise awareness about their rights as
workers
. Masuyama-san believes this mentality arises from a code of ethics developed by Japanese samurai in the 17th century called bushido, or "the way of the warrior." As the Japanese economy faces its worst crisis since World War II, it seems that work has become the be all and end all for many people.The relationship between employer and employee in Japan has traditionally been lifelong. Since the 1950s, Japanese companies have hired employees straight out of school, trained them on the job, and retained them until retirement. All in exchange for an employee's lifelong dedication to the company. Black businesses in Japan have become so common that there is now an annual ceremony giving an award to the most evil corporation of the year. Past nominations include local businesses, Fortune 500 companies, and even public broadcasters. At the risk of
being
labeled as such, our director calls it a day. In 2018, there were more than 2,000 work-related suicides across a variety of industries in Japan.I'm talking to Fumiyoshi Shimizu, 41, who has personally experienced how overwork can seriously affect mental health. Fourteen years ago, Shimizu-san was one of 800,000
workers
employed in convenience store chains across Japan. Due to demanding schedules and general labor shortages throughout Japan, it is difficult to staff 24-hour stores. Shimizu-san tells me that his company refused to offer him support. Shimizu-san's dedication to his work reminds me of a ubiquitous Japanese phrase.But he ignored his doctor's advice to take a break. For better or worse, there is a deeply ingrained mentality in Japanese society that the group comes before the needs of the individual. As Shimizu-san received unpaid leave, he asked the company to compensate him for his overtime. Shimizu-san took the company to court... and won. Shimizu-san received US$15,000 in compensation for his overtime and for the damage the work had caused to his health. A rare result in Japan. The relationship between employee and employer in Japan reminds me of an abusive relationship in which the victim returns to the abuser again and again.
A kind of deadly corporate devotion and trust that has subsumed all other relationships in a salaried person's life. I want to know how leaders at the highest levels are addressing the epidemic of stressed and overworked employees. Japan's government recognizes that the country's work culture needs to change. In 2018, the government passed a work style reform bill that introduced mandatory days off and limits on excessive working hours. However, critics point out that the limits can be extended by half a year during busy periods, up to 100 hours of overtime a month. But there have been some changes. To encourage a healthier work-life balance, some companies have introduced automatic computer shutdowns at the end of the day, shaming workaholics with capes and afternoon exercise breaks to help employees de-stress.
I have heard of a particularly unique initiative that aims to alleviate the pressures of work. These employees have been sent here by their company for a form of therapy called ruikatsu. Yoshida-san has a difficult task ahead of him. According to an international survey on adult crying, Japanese people are among the nationalities least likely to shed a tear. In the first film, a son tells her dying mother in the hospital that he regrets not appreciating her enough while she was growing up. It doesn't take me much time. In the second clip, an estranged father and daughter reunite at their wedding.
In the last film, a man reads a poem in memory of his cat, his lifelong companion. Man, this guy is tough. But there is one participant who kept it all inside. Companies that offer therapies like these are encouraging their employees to step outside the traditional boundaries of the stoic salaryman. It is a step towards the recognition of the individual as a human
being
in a society that has long favored the collective. I notice that Owada-san, who didn't cry, seems skeptical. While there has been progress in recognizing the epidemic of overwork in Japan, solutions such as tear therapy may be just a band-aid and not the cure for overwork in the country.But maybe there's still some good in having a good cry at the end of the day. But if it takes adults this long to figure out if their jobs are a good fit, I wonder how young graduates about to enter the workforce feel. In Japan, the pressure to get a traditional salaried job starts early. College students spend most of their senior year preparing for the one event they believe will make or break their careers.
About 80% of Japanese graduates find work during shukatsu. If they don't get hired, the chances of finding a job after graduating are almost zero. There is so much at stake and stress that one in five students is said to contemplate suicide. I want to understand how the shukatsu system affects the lives of young Japanese people and the nation's work culture. But before I join the job search, I have to dress appropriately.
Women are also advised to keep makeup and accessories to a minimum. Although there is a clothing choice that students can make. Wear pants or skirt. I put aside my doubts about the bland suit and try it on. It's actually a pretty comfortable suit. You usually do more than one interview a week. Every day, essentially. So if I have to do this every day and these are machine washable, not bad. But the individual in me can't help it. Very good, this is the most extravagant option, because it is not black, it is blue, navy blue, very different from black.
It has one button, instead of two, so the chest area shows a little more, perhaps too bold in the first interview. But in my opinion it's still a pretty conservative suit. As if I could go to an interview with a financial company and they would take me seriously. If I had an interview with creatives, I'd say, you know, you can be our accountant. I can't say that the aesthetic of the suit represents who I am. But maybe that's not the point. As I think about what sets me apart from others, in a potential interview, it is the ideas, it is the thoughts that really make the difference.
So if you can embrace that kind of, “Oh, what am I going to wear?” Outside of this situation, you may be able to focus more on your answers. With my standard suit in hand, I'm ready to discover how Japanese students prepare for the dreaded job search. To prepare thousands of students during shukatsu, or job-hunting season in Japan, there is a multibillion-dollar industry that provides guidance on everything from aptitude tests and work attire to resume writing and interview etiquette. . And I'm immersing myself in this world. I joined a workshop that teaches students how to navigate group interviews.
It is a common practice that Japanese companies use to gradually narrow down potential candidates. Consultant Yuki Kondo is giving students tips on how to stand out from the crowd. The class is divided into two teams for a mock group interview. My group, the A team, are potential job candidates who have to prepare a presentation on a certain topic. While team B plays the role of company recruiters, evaluating how students participate in team discussions. The tension around the table is palpable. Everyone wants to say a word. The competition is fierce and it is not easy to say a word.
With only a short amount of time, students have to make every sentence count. Sometimes it pays to remain silent. That was really stressful. Just watching the students was really impressive, but what she's trying to encourage is thinking about...not just academic intelligence but street smarts. How flexible are you? How analytical are you? The stress of job searching doesn't end here. First of all, simply receiving an invitation for an interview is a huge task. And get your foot in the door? Start with the resume. I joined Satoshi Sekiguchi, one of the workshop students, as he met with a career counselor to review his job application.
Students typically submit between 10 and 100 applications to increase their chances of getting an interview. And here in Japan, they are traditionally handwritten. In Japan, companies don't care about the hours you spend getting the font and layout of your CV perfect. Resumes have more or less the same format throughout the country. Companies believe that filling out all these boxes by hand will reveal a candidate's true personality and help them find the perfect long-term match. Satoshi is not alone. A common concern among students is having no idea what type of job or company suits them. Although lifetime employment is declining, the average Japanese worker will stay with the same company for 10 years or more.
For me, committing to a long-term relationship at such a young age is like being pressured into marrying someone you don't even know. Many say a revamp of the shukatsu system is long overdue. The shukatsu system, in some ways, seems to require a lot of people to know exactly what they want and the stakes are very, very high. And that's why I think people are really stressed. You know, I have to imagine there are a lot of people who just go through the motions and go to work somewhere without having to really think, "Is this where I want to be?
Is this where it's best for me?" I'm curious what happens to people when they opt out of the rigid Japanese employment system. I'm meeting former architect Kashiwa Hang, 39, who left his job when he was hospitalized for overwork four years ago. He has been playing the handpan ever since. Today, Kashiwa earns a modest income performing and teaching handpan. His way of thinking is rare in Japan. Only 17% of the Japanese workforce is self-employed as a Kashiwa, compared to 25% in South Korea and 35% in the United States. Kashiwa has invited me to join him at his workplace on the busy sidewalks of downtown Tokyo.
Unlike his old office, the work environment here is friendly, relaxed and inviting. And Kashiwa can call it a day whenever he feels like it. I think Kashiwa Hang is among the growing number of working-age people in Japan who are starting to tire of the traditional cultural routes of going to work. I think there's a lot more introspection about who I am outside of being a worker and what the possibilities are that exist. Working hard has long been synonymous with what it means to be Japanese. I've seen some of the best of that work ethic. And also, some of the worst.
I think Japan is at a precipice point where it is trying to preserve the traditions of how things were done with new paths being forged in how to lead work life. As the country faces turbulent economic waters in the future, the nature of work will change. And Japanese society's relationship with it will also have to change course. Subtitles: IYUNO Media Group
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